He Planned Her Ocean Trip, I Booked a Different One Chapter 03

He Planned Her Ocean Trip, I Booked a Different One Chapter 03

“June, what time do you get into Valcrest? I’ll pick you up.”

The hum of a treadmill buzzed in the background.

“Two p.m.”

My best friend Nina laughed. “You’re actually moving to Valcrest? Does Gavin know?”

“Gavin and I broke up.”

She paused.

“I figured. But… are you sure?”

I thought for two seconds. “Yeah.”

Back in first grade, I’d been in a car accident. The shock left me unable to speak.

Boys in my class threw my books around, scribbled all over my homework.

Gavin dragged them into the teacher’s office.

He came out with blood running from his nose. Wiped it with his sleeve and grinned at me.

“It’s okay. Anyone messes with you, I’ll take care of them.”

I stared at him for a long time. Then I spoke for the first time.

“Thank you.”

He froze. Then he ran up and down the hallway, shouting at everyone: “She talked! She talked!”

From that day on, we were inseparable.

For over a decade, we’d become part of each other’s bones.

Until a few months ago, when Gavin hired a new intern.

Sully had been with him for months. That’s when he changed his phone wallpaper.

It used to be a photo from our trip to Seabluff—me laughing on his shoulders as a wave crashed behind us.

Now it was a generic landscape shot from his company retreat.

I didn’t ask why.

He didn’t explain.

Sully caused fights. Breakups.

Every time, I couldn’t sleep. I’d drink just to shut my brain off.

Then last month, I worked till eleven. Walking into my building, I heard footsteps behind me.

I sped up. The footsteps sped up.

I called Gavin. Once. Twice. Thirteen times.

He didn’t pick up.

Panic hit. I missed the curb. My ankle twisted and I went down hard.

My phone screen cracked—the call screen still lit up.

I didn’t know what I pressed. But a call went through.

It rang for less than two seconds.

Then a voice came through. Quiet on his end. I heard him stand up.

“June. Don’t hang up. Keep talking. Tell me where you are.”

I gave him the address. He said, “Ten minutes.”

Nine minutes later, he was there.

His hair was soaked with sweat. He crouched down, lifted my ankle in both hands.

Pressed his thumb gently against it. “Does this hurt?”

I nodded.

He didn’t say another word. Stood up, turned his back to me, crouched lower.

“Get on.”

Gavin got home an hour later.

He said Sully had an extra movie ticket—didn’t want to waste it. He went with her. Phone on silent.

I looked at him.

And I realized—I didn’t know him anymore.

The big screen in the station concourse switched to a new ad. The cover of Financial Journal flashed across it.

People stirred around me.

One of Gavin’s friends pointed at the screen. “Isn’t that Hayes Whitmore?”

I looked up at that face. Then I turned to look at Gavin.

He was staring at his phone. Sully leaned in close beside him, and he didn’t pull away.

My phone buzzed—like it knew.

[I’ll be waiting for you in Valcrest.]